A Roundup of the Week July 17-23

ARENA FOOTBALL—Led by quarterback Mike Rhodes's 115 yards passing, Denver (2-1) fought back from a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat Detroit 15-14. Dynamite lineman Quinton Knight sacked Drive quarterback Mike Trigg in the end zone for a safety and the final margin of victory. The loss knocked Detroit (2-1) from the league lead. Pittsburgh and Chicago showed off their firepower in a game played in Sacramento. The Gladiators prevailed 47-38 as Willie Totten completed 14 of 25 passes for 256 yards and five touchdowns. Bruiser receiver Reggie Smith caught 10 passes, for 90 yards and two touchdowns, but he could not prevent Chicago from falling to 0-2. Pittsburgh remained undefeated after two games.

BOXING—MIKE TYSON stopped Carl Williams in the first round to retain the heavyweight title, in Atlantic City (page 18).

CYCLING—GREG LeMOND of the United States defeated Laurent Fignon of France by eight seconds to win the 76th Tour de France, covering the 21-stage, 2,020-mile course in 87:38:35 (page 12). JEANNIE LONGO of France won the 11-stage, 482-mile women's Tour de France with a time of 21 hours, 59 minutes and 38 seconds. She finished 8:44 ahead of Italy's Maria Canins.

In the men's competition at the U.S. National Championships in Park City, Utah, RISHI GREWAL of Boulder, Colo., won the road race; MATT NEWBERRY of Reno, the criterium; and NATHAN SHEAFOR of Topeka, Kans., the time trial. In the women's events, JULI FURTADO of Boulder won the road event; RUTH MATTHES, also of Boulder, the criterium; and JEANNE GOLAY of Hollywood, Fla., the time trial.

EQUESTRIAN—TIM GRUBB of Pottersville, N.J., riding Elan's Forecast, beat Margie Goldstein of Miami, on Sebastian, by 1.461 seconds to win the Grand Prix of Vermont and $9,000, in Killington.

GOLF—MARK CALCAVECCHIA overcame Greg Norman and Wayne Grady in a four-hole playoff to win the 118th British Open and $128,000, in Troon, Scotland. The three finished regulation play tied at 13-under-par 275 (page 20).

Curt Byrum shot a 12-under-par 268 to beat Brian Tennyson and Bill Britton by one stroke in a PGA tournament in Coal Valley, Ill. Byrum's victory, the first of his seven-year pro career, was worth $126,000.

Amy Alcott defeated Cathy Marino by three strokes to win an LPGA tournament and $52,500 in Danvers, Mass. Alcott shot a 16-under-par 272, the best 72-hole total on the LPGA tour this year.

HORSE RACING—FOREVER SILVER ($3.80), with Jacinto Vasquez in the saddle, defeated Drapeau Tricolore by 4½ lengths to win the Brooklyn Handicap and $238,560, at Belmont Park. The 4-year-old colt ran the 1½ miles in 2:28[3/5].

Prized ($12), ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye, upset Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Sunday Silence by three quarters of a length in the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park. The 3-year-old colt covered the 1¼ miles in 2:01[4/5] and earned $232,400.

Dream Deal ($12), Craig Perret up, beat Some Romance by a head in the Monmouth Oaks at Monmouth Park. The 3-year-old filly ran the 1‚Äö√Ñ√∂‚àö√±‚àö¬µ miles in 1:49[1/5] and won $90,000.

Bill Elliott, in a Ford, won a 200-lap NASCAR event in Long Pond, Pa., defeating Rusty Wallace, in a Pontiac, by 2.21 seconds. Elliott averaged 117.870 mph on the 2.5-mile tri-oval at Pocono International Raceway and won $58,400.

TENNIS—In the Davis Cup semifinals, West Germany defeated the U.S. 3-2 in Munich (page 56), and Sweden knocked off Yugoslavia 4-1.

TRACK & FIELD—At the inaugural New York Track and Field Games in New York City, SANDRA FARMER-PATRICK broke her own U.S. women's record in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.37, surpassing her five-week-old mark by .38 of a second (page 55).

MILEPOSTS—APPROVED: By NFL owners, the formation of the World League of American Football, to begin play by 1991. The international league of 12 teams, each of which will play a 10-game spring schedule, is expected to have six franchises based outside the U.S., in Barcelona, Frankfurt, London, Mexico City, Milan and Montreal, and six in the U.S. The domestic sites will be selected from among New York City, Nashville, San Antonio, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Birmingham, San Jose and Sacramento. The players, who will earn annual salaries in the $40,000 range, will be drawn from a pool of NFL rookies and free agents.

INDUCTED: Into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY., JOHNNY BENCH, 41, a 10-time Gold Glove winner at catcher who played 17 years (1967-83) for the Cincinnati Reds, during which he hit 389 home runs, batted in 1,376 runs, had a .267 career batting average and helped the Reds win the World Series in '75 and '76; and '67 Triple Crown winner CARL YASTRZEMSKI, 49, the only American League player to have 3,000 or more hits (3,419) and 400-plus home runs (452). Yaz played 23 seasons for the Boston Red Sox, during which he had a .285 batting average, was named to the All-Star team 18 times and earned seven Gold Gloves for his play in leftfield.

PLEADED GUILTY: In U.S. District Court in Detroit, former Detroit Red Wing right wing BOB PROBERT, 24, to a charge of importing cocaine. Probert, who will be sentenced Sept. 26, could have faced as much as 20 years' imprisonment, but his maximum sentence was reduced to one year under a plea agreement. Probert, who is undergoing substance-abuse treatment, was expelled from the NHL following his arrest in March.

TRADED: By the Cincinnati Reds, outfielder KAL DANIELS, 25, and infielder LENNY HARRIS, 24, to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher TIM LEARY, 30, and shortstop MARIANO DUNCAN, 26; by the San Diego Padres, pitcher WALT TERRELL, 31, and a player to be named later to the New York Yankees for third baseman MIKE PAGLIARULO, 29, and a minor leaguer.

DIED: Continental Basketball Association commissioner JAY RAMSDELL, 25, who was among the 105 passengers confirmed dead after the crash of United Airlines Flight 232 at the Sioux Gateway Airport in Iowa.

Former major league pitcher DONNIE MOORE, 35; of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after shooting his estranged wife; in Anaheim, Calif. Moore, whose 13-year career record with five teams was 43-40 with 89 saves, set a California Angels record with 31 saves in 1985. He had been released by Triple A Omaha on June 12 (page 7).